Time-movement.



U. A. MILLER.

TIME MOVEMENT.

APPLIGATION FILED MAILZB, 1909.

1,043,531. Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

ITNESSES l/VN TOR WW c1 WLJM r I Afmrmfy UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. MILLER, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE YALE 85ItZW'NE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT.

TIME-MOVEMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5,1912.

Application filed March 26, 1909. Serial No. 486,004.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,of Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Time-Movements; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as'will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to time movements, and is designed for use inwatches, clocks, time locks, and other similar time move ments.

The object of the invention is to prevent the rapid running down of themovement which results when any one of the wheels of a train becomesdisengaged from its intermeshing wheel, due to the breaking of one ofthe staff pivots of the train, and my in vention'consists-in a supportfor one or more of the stalls intermediate the two pivot bearings ofeach stafl.

For the purpose of illustration I have' shown, and will describe myimprovement in connection with the time movement of a clock, but I wouldhave it understood that it is equally adapted to watch movements andalso to time lock movements, hence I would have it understood that allreference to, time movements is intended to comprehend not only clocksbut watches, time movement .for locks and all other similar timemovements.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view in front elevation ofatime movement embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in side"elevation of same, and Fig. 3

is a view in section taken on the line a, a of Fig. .1.

1 and 2 represent respectively the, front and rear plates ofta timemovement, 3 the spring arbor and 4 the escapement wheel, the latterbeing geared up to the drive pinion on-the sprmg arbor through a trainof,

gears, carried by the staffs 5, 6, 7 and 8, the staff 5' taking itspower directly from the pinion on the spring arbor, and the staff 8carrying the escapement'wheel 4.

9 is the-intermediate plate or bridge provided at its ends with posts bymeans of which it is secured to one of the plates, in the presentinstance to plate 1, and provided with op enings slightly larger thanthe stalls. The posts are of sufficient length to bring the bridge wellup, and in close proximity to, the gears so that the latter will besupported in the event of injury to the stafl's or pivots thereof ateither side ofthe gears, concentric therewith, through which one or moreof the stalls, preferably the faster moving ones of the train pass. Ihave shown the staffs 6, 7 andSpassing through openings in the bridge orintermediate plate. The staffs or spindles are provided with pivots orreduced ends of the usual construction, some of which are supported injewels and others in metal, either steel or brass.

\Vith the time movements now in use, if

a pivot breaks, the force of the spring tending to turn the pinion onthe damaged staff, moves the latter to one side, thus breaking the trainand permitting the spring to unwind rapidly. -With my improvement, if apivot breaks the damaged staff will be supported byqthe other pivot, andby the bridge or intermediate plate 9, and the force of the springtending to drive the staff around in the slightly larger hole in thebridge, forces the stall or spindle diagonally against the side of thehole, or into an eccentric position, thus stopping the movement at once.In addition to this function the bridge adds strength to the parts ofthe movement passing through the bridge, due to the fact that the holesin the-latter are so near the size of thestafi's or spindles, thatthe-latter may be jarred considerably sidewise, but prevented fromactual displacement by con tacting with the side walls of the holesthrough which they pass. The main object however, is to prevent therapid running down of the movement in the event a pivot should bebroken. In a watch, or a high 9.

class time piece,'if a pivot be broken from orig ii bf the spiri'dles,or stalls, the rapid uninding of the. spring injures the pinion to lchan. extent that theyifare practically Worthless for future use, and inlarge time ieces, where heavier springs are used, the nionsare/frequently destroyed. Again in a e lock movement, the pivots are.soinetllmes broken by the methods employed. by.

burglars in attempting to open safes and vaults, and thus cause themovement to run down quickly, in which event the safe or vault would bequickly unlocked. Bymy improvement, the staffs are supported be tweenthe pivots, so thatv if either or both be broken, the staff will simplybe thrown from its concentric to an eccentric position and act as abrake.

It is evident that many slight changes might be resorted to in therelative arrangement of parts shown and described without departing fromthe spirit and scope of my invention hence I would have it understoodthat I do not wish to confine myself to the exact construction andarrangement of parts shown and described, but,

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent, is V 1. In a time movement the combination ofsupporting plates, and a gear staflf or spindle mounted at its ends insaid plates, of a bridge intermediate the plates and embracing the staffor spindle adjacent to the gear on the lattergrthe hole in the bridgebeing slightlv larger than the diameter of the staff or spindle wherebyllPOIl the displace- .ment of the spindle from its bearing the same issupported in an eccentric position and stops the movement.

2. In a time movement, the combination with front and rear supportingplates and a gear tr'ain carried by said plates, of a bridgeintermediate the plates and having holes for-the passage of two or moreof the stafis of the gear train, the said holes being slightlylargerthan the stafis whereby upon the displacement of a staff from itsbearing, the same is su )ported in an eccentric position and stops hemovement.

i In testimony whereof, I have signed this f mg witnesses.

J. A. GAYLOR, IV. E. nssoN.

i specification in the presence of two subscrib

